Those are Gophers football coach Tim Brewster‘s words, the way he describes his new starting running back, freshman DeLeon Eskridge.

Eskridge catapulted into a featured role after Duane Bennett suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the second game of the season. In last week’s 35-23 victory over Montana State, Eskridge rushed 24 times for 114 yards and three touchdowns.

“I think maturity is the biggest thing he’s got at this point. He’s more mature than most. He had a level of maturity I saw right away,” Brewster said of the 18-year-old true freshman. “He’s a kid from the inner city of San Francisco. He’s seen a lot in his life and has been around a lot of things. He’s not a guy that gets too excited.”

Though Eskridge may not be hyperventilating over the prospect of taking over for Bennett, he does get excited about playing.

“I first played in the fourth grade. I was about 8. Played running back and linebacker. I played both sides,” he said. “Being young, people don’t really like to block. I’d just catch it, and I had long runs. Football is my passion. Even when I wasn’t playing organized football, I was playing with my family, cousins and friends. I’m passionate every day about football. You get a shot, and you’ve got to make the most of it.”

EYES

Eskridge has 20/20 vision, which has helped him navigate through defenses for more than a decade.

“I catch a jersey color and I move and react,” Eskridge said.

Brewster said Eskridge has “excellent vision on the field.”

MOUTH

Eskridge on how he wants to be remembered when he finishes his career at Minnesota: “I want to be somebody who’s not just known for running and scoring touchdowns but somebody who helped (Eric) Decker score a touchdown or (Adam) Weber throw a touchdown or a tight end catch the ball. I want to be known as somebody who played hard throughout his career. Without a question, I would love to be talked about with Marion Barber and Laurence Maroney.”

HANDS

When you shake Eskridge’s right hand, it’s like slipping your hand into a vise grip. As for whether he has the kind of hands that latch on to passes thrown in college games, that’s still a mystery. He hasn’t caught a ball in a game.

“I’ve got to see more of his hands. I want to see those things develop,” Brewster said. “He’s a well-rounded back. He broke (NFL hall of famer) Lynn Swann‘s all-time record for touchdowns (at Junipero Serra High School in California).”

Eskridge claims there’s no need to fret about his hands.

“I played a lot of receiver in Pop Warner,” he said. “I would say I have pretty good hands.”

UPPER BODY

Eskridge knows his body still is growing and developing.

“In the offseason, I’ll eat right, lift, do what I have to do to get bigger and stronger and everything,” he said. “When I came in, I asked if I needed to put on more weight. Coach said it’s more about running hard and knowing what you have to do more than it is size.”

LEGS

Eskridge doesn’t have the thick legs you see on some running backs. He’s a lean 5 feet 11, 190 pounds and has the body of a wide receiver more than a running back. That doesn’t mean he can’t pick his way through defenses, or run guys over.

“He’s strong. A physical guy,” Brewster said. “He did a nice job against Montana State. He ran through a bunch of tackles. He’s not a burner, but I think he’s functional with his speed. I think through the years, when you look at it, a lot of the great backs may not be the fastest guys. They’re serviceable speed-wise, but there’s the vision, the strength, the cutting ability.”

Eskridge says two of his strengths are “speed and power.”

“When he gets into the game, he runs hard and gets those hard yards and is able to put the ball in the end zone,” Weber said. “It’s a great feeling knowing even though Duane is down and out for the rest of the season there are guys who can step up like Eskridge. He’s going to be a very talented back. It’s all about can he improve next week? I think he can because he has all the talent in the world.”

FEET

Another strength of Eskridge: quick feet.

“Coach wants us to have quick feet,” he said. “You have to be quick, and if you see a hole, you have to explode.”

Brewster said Eskridge has “really good feet” but that he’s “got a ways to go before he catches up to the total package that Duane was.”

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